A particularly effective way to mount communications equipment, such as microwave dishes, radio base stations, microwave radios, controllers, computers, broadcast transmitters, etc., is on a tall tower. This has been accomplished in the past by mounting the equipment on platforms that are formed with a minimum of structural steel. While prior towers have been functional, they have had one or more of the following shortcomings: not rain tight; not having sufficient integrity to be air conditioned (which is highly desirable for certain types of electronics equipment for communications) and in general a lack of any environmental controls; a relatively small size; a less than optimum horizontal spacing of antennas or an inability to mount a large number of antennas; also subject to the limitations of the wind loading imposed on the structure by varying size of coax cable or transmission lines and destructive forces from high winds as a result of a failure to take aerodynamics into account; and/or insufficient structural integrity to accommodate the installation of large amounts of heavy equipment and coax cables or transmission lines.
According to the present invention, a pod for use on a tower. A ground mounted pedestal, or a pedestal mounted atop a building or mountain, is provided which overcomes all of the above mentioned shortcomings. The pod according to the invention is made primarily from structural steel, including floor and roof skeletons formed by radiused H-beams, and including braces extending from portions on the tower below the pod to inner and outer rings of the floor skeleton, to provide high structural integrity. The pod according to the invention will readily accommodate large amounts of heavy equipment. Fiberglass, or like weather resistant panels, are connected to the structural skeletons (as with stainless steel fasteners) to provide a pod with sufficient integrity so that it is water tight under all weather conditions, having sufficient integrity and insulation so that it can be air conditioned.
The pod of the present invention also includes two sets of railings on the roof. The railings preferably are concentric with each other and the tower, and are dimensioned (with the outer railing at the outermost portion of the pod) so that optimum horizontal spacing between a large plurality of antennas may be provided. The panels are also constructed so as to provide an aerodynamic design. The exterior sides are blunt (preferably formed by panels each of which extend from the roof to the floor and are curved about both horizontal and vertical axes), with a taper of the roof and floor panels.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a pod for use on a tower (e.g. a triangular in cross-section tower having legs at the apexes thereof) is provided. The pod comprises: Means defining a floor skeleton for the pod. Means defining a roof skeleton for the pod. A first plurality of weather resistant panels connected to the floor and roof skeletons to form a floor and roof of the pod. A second plurality of weather resistant panels connected between the floor and roof skeletons to form exterior sides of the pod. A third plurality of weather resistant panels connected between the floor and roof skeletons to form interior sides of the pod. And, the means defining a floor skeleton comprising: a first formed radius of structural metal beams providing an inside ring; a second formed radius of structural metal beams providing an outside ring; a plurality of radially extending structural metal beams extending between the first and second formed radii; and a plurality of rigid structural metal elements connecting the inside ring to the tower.
A plurality of structural metal beams also are preferably provided for connecting some of the radially extending structural metal beams to the tower. The metal beams typically are H-beams. A plurality of straight structural metal elements may also connect the radially extending beams together to form, in plan, at least one, and preferably two, polyhedrons (e.g. 18 sided polyhedrons). The structural metal elements connecting the inner ring to the tower make comprise a plurality of vertical pipes extending between the roof and the floor skeletons, and operatively connected to the inner ring and to bracing structural metal elements connected to the tower. The structural metal elements may also be provided for connecting the outer ring to the tower, comprising braces extending from a portion of the tower below the floor skeleton to a vertical pole attached to the outer ring. The roof skeleton may be substantially identical to the floor skeleton.
The invention also contemplates the rain tight, air conditionable pod construction formed by the fiberglass panels connected by stainless steel connectors to the skeletons, as indicated above. Also the invention contemplates that the floor skeleton comprises structural substantially planar metal floor elements (e.g. H-beams) extending in a generally horizontal plane and having an inner portion (ring) closer to the tower and an outer portion (ring) farthest from the tower, and a plurality of rigid bracing members extending from the tower from a position below the pod to each of the inner and outer portions, so that the structural elements connect the floor and roof skeletons together so that the pod has sufficient integrity to support heavy equipment disposed within the pod mounted on the floor.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a strong pod with high integrity for mounting in association with a tower, for supporting communications equipment or the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detail description of the invention, and from the appended claims.